I was bewildered by the vitriolic attacks made by Councilman Alan Magazine and Mayor Ginny Dickey in response to the legislature’s consideration of two bills that benefit the town (Council
Springtime is supposed to be a time of renewal, with people getting out after a cold winter and visiting with neighbors and friends who have been hunkered down for the winter. The winter of coronavirus has lasted a full year, but it is beginning to feel like spring as numbers of new cases have slowed and conversations with neighbors might turn to whether they have received a COVID vaccine. For older folks, many have received at least one shot and are awaiting their second.
It was March 11, 2020 when The Times ran its first COVID-related story about Representative Paul Gosar attending a GOP event at the Fountain Hills Community Center and then immediately going into self-quarantine because he had been exposed to the virus. He said he was not made aware of his exposure until after the Fountain Hills event. The exposure came during an earlier national event.
At its March 2 regular session, the Town Council voted to approve $49,000 for a warrant study to determine potential need for a future traffic signal at the intersection of Palisades Blvd. and Palomino Blvd./Eagle Ridge Drive in Fountain Hills.
A professional services agreement would have Kimley-Horn and Associates, engineering consultants, perform the study.
The council heard this proposal in November 2020 but rejected it. Public Works Director Justin Weldy apologized to the council for poorly presenting the proposal last fall.
âI never intended to provide confusing or misleading information,â Weldy said.
The study is the first step in planning for outlying years, according to Weldy. He said, based on traffic study information performed in connection with the Adero-Scottsdale Resort located on Eagle Ridge Drive and the proposed Daybreak Apartment complex on Palisades near Shea, there are indications that the intersection will meet warrants for a signal.
In presenting his report to the Town Council on law enforcement activity in Fountain Hills for 2020, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Capt. Larry Kratzer said there was some increased activity that
Mayor Ginny Dickey has issued a proclamation declaring Monday, March 1, as COVID-19 Memorial Day. This week the death toll from the pandemic surpassed 500,000 in the United States.